Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, or spreading.

exfoliating in grayish sheets or strips.

ascending or spreading;

twigs with simple trichomes.

usually opposite, sometimes whorled [alternate], simple;

stipules absent;

petiole present or absent;

blade sometimes palmately lobed, margins entire, serrate, serrulate, dentate, denticulate, or crenate;

venation pinnate or acrodromous (Fendlera, Fendlerella, Philadelphus, Whipplea).

persistent, opposite;

petiole present;

blade lanceolate to narrowly elliptic or oblong, herbaceous to coriaceous, margins entire or obscurely denticulate, usually revolute, sometimes plane;

venation pinnate.

terminal or axillary, cymes, panicles, racemes, or corymbs, or flowers solitary.

terminal or axillary, cymes, 3–9(–13)-flowered;

peduncle present.

present.

bisexual [unisexual], or sometimes marginal ones sterile, radially symmetric (bisexual ones) or bilaterally symmetric with enlarged petaloid sepals (sterile ones);

perianth and androecium nearly hypogynous, perigynous, or epigynous;

hypanthium completely adnate to ovary or adnate to ovary proximally, free distally;

sepals 4–12, distinct or connate basally;

petals 4–12, connate basally [entirely, then calyptrate];

nectary usually present, rarely absent;

stamens 8–200, usually distinct, sometimes connate proximally, free;

anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits;

pistil 1, 2–12-carpellate, ovary less than 1/2 inferior, 1/2 inferior, or completely inferior, 1–12-locular, placentation usually axile proximally, parietal distally, rarely strictly axile or parietal;

ovules 1–50 per locule, anatropous;

styles 1–12, distinct or connate proximally to most of length;

stigmas (1–)2–12.

bisexual;

perianth and androecium nearly hypogynous;

hypanthium adnate to ovary proximally, free distally, patelliform, not ribbed in fruit;

sepals persistent, 5–7, spreading, ovate to ovate-lanceolate or triangular, sparsely to densely appressed-pubescent abaxially;

petals 5–7(–8), imbricate, spreading to reflexed, white, ovate, round, or depressed-elliptic, base sessile or obscurely clawed, surfaces glabrous;

stamens 150–200;

filaments distinct, essentially terete, not noticeably tapered from base to apex, apex not 2-lobed;

anthers depressed-ovate;

pistil 5–7-carpellate, ovary nearly superior, 5–7-locular;

placentation axile proximally, parietal distally;

style persistent, 1.

capsules [berries], dehiscence septicidal, loculicidal, interstylar, or intercostal.

conic to depressed-spheric, corticate to coriaceous, dehiscence basipetally septicidal to near base of fruit, delayed apically by persistent style.

1–50 per locule, funicular appendage present (Fendlerella, Whipplea) or absent.

50 per locule, brown or reddish brown, ellipsoid.

= 10.